How to make Friends and Grow as People
by charmingbexi
Summary: One shots looking into the lives of the characters of Vampire Academy, Past, Present and Future.
1. The Best Guardians Start Young

**So, we all have headcanons. I love finding new ones and I love coming up with ones of my own, I also love mixing mine with other peoples if it makes a bigger, sounder, picture in my head. Sometimes our headcanons clash, but we sweep that fact under the rug and love them all and use them all depending on the scenario we're building. Basically, here there be headcanons and one shots.**

 **Rose, age four.**

* * *

Tip toeing as quietly as a four year old could, Rose snuck into the back of the gym to watch the older Novices train. She knew that the Guardian assigned to her and the other Dhampir orphans care would be here sooner rather than later to take her back after sneaking out, but she loved to watch the older Dhampir train to become the Guardians their lives were destined for. She was going to be a guardian one day, just like her mum and Alberta and everyone here, but she was going to be the best.

She watched with awe as the students fought each other, trying out whatever new move their teacher had shown them. Rose honestly couldn't wait till it was her turn to be the one learning all these things. Feeling someone come to a stop next to her hiding place at the weight rack, Rose looked up guiltily to see one of the Guardians looking down at her with an amused yet exasperated expression on his face.

"Hiya, Guardian Alto." she mumbled, her face dropping to look at the ground, not wanting to see the reprimand that she was sure would be coming.

"Rose." he acknowledged, kneeling down to be at the same height as her. "You know you're not supposed to be here." he said softly, watching her fondly as she pulled at the ends of her hair guiltily. "You've got all the Guardians looking for you, again." he told her, taking her small hand in his, making her look at him.

"It's just so boring when all the others are in class though" she pouted, as any four year old has natural talent for. "I wanna learn how to be a Guardian!" she told him, pulling her hand away and bunching her little fists. "I wanna be able to fight and protect Moroi, and I wanna be the best ever." her chin tilted up with an air of pride to her declaration.

Stan sighed at her words, smiling grimly at the young girl. He held no illusion to the fact she would be a great Guardian when she was older, you just look at her mother's blossoming career to see she'd be great should she follow her mother's footsteps. But to hear a child rushing towards that burdened path was heavy in his heart. Watching, year after year, as Novices graduated and were killed off just as quickly was wearing on him. Looking at the spirited girl in front of him, he vowed to make sure that she _would_ be 'the best ever' but knew it would mean he would have to start to be tough with her, to start being tougher to them all.

"Well, first of all, you've got to start following rules. And the rules are that you stay where you're supposed to be, at all times." he told her, reaching for her again and picking her up. Yes, he'd have to start being tougher, but coddling St Vladimir's youngest child one last time wouldn't hurt anyone. She did, after all, still have a year to go before she actually started classes at the school. "But, I've radioed in and told them I have you. So, how about I teach you a few starter moves?" he asked, and her exuberant nodding and smile were worth it.


	2. In All His Unshaven Glory

**Hey guys! I meamt to update last week, however I've just started a new job and it's 100% kicking my arse. But heres this little moment to love.**

Rose could honestly say she was learning new things about Dimitri all the time. Things she liked, and things that annoyed her, but somehow ultimately, things she loved about him.

One such thing Rose learned was when they were first visiting with his family after he, and ttheir relationship, was restored. And that was her always perfectly well groomed and clean shaven boyfriend tended not to shave during his down time.

And she loved it.

Within a few days of being at his family home in Baia, Dimitri was sporting a full beard. At first she'd thought he forgot his shaving kit, but snooping through their bags proved her wrong, besides her ever efficient boyfriend wouldnt do something like that, that was much more her territory. Case in point her forgotten hairbrush, but that was totally beside the point. The point was she honest to God liked it, and, well, if she'd thought her Russian God of a man couldn't be any hotter, she'd fully and wholly been proven wrong with this new feature. Because she had _never_ beebeen more attracted to him than she was right now. And if the small, sly, smirk Dimitri had taken to wearing with his new beard was any indicator, he knew it too.

It wasn't even like she was even hiding her new found appreciation anyway. Rose had found herself a new habit of gently scratching her fingertips through it. When they kissed. When they laid together and talked. When they were relaxed on the sofa. Basically she found herself doing it a lot, not that Dimitri was complaining about it either. In fact if his blissed out, kittinish reaction to it was anything to go by, he loved her new habit too.

It also, she found, had led to other, more mutualy pleasurable, activities. Rose had never thought she'd enjoy the scratchy feeling of a beard when she kissed someone, but she did. Or when Dimitri trailed kisses along her neck and body, and the ticklish feeling traveled with him, adding a whole new sensation.

Over all, Rose loved learning new things about Dimitri, but this was one of the few things she wished she could benefit from a lot more often than she did.


	3. Insecurities in Love

**Okay, I've been up nearly 24 hours, but I'm pretty sure this makes sense and flows. Please do leave constructive criticism if you believe otherwise and I'll see what I can fix when I get my sleep schedule back on track. (The only reason working nights is a pain.) Happy Reading, anyhow. PS I have literally no idea where this came from, my original direction for this was 100% in another direction.**

 **Still, I think it's within everyone to doubt themselves in a relationship every now and then, especially when it's your first serious one.**

* * *

Guardian Secrets.

It was a term Rose had come to somewhat dislike overall, not that she disliked the circumstances that came with it. It usually meant that Dimitri had come up with a way to genuinely surprise her, more often than not by doing something thoughtful for her, and she had no idea when or how he'd done it. And really it wasn't fair of him to use that term now she was a guardian too, but still, he used it, with an affectionate smile pulling at the corners of his lips.

Rose was cooped up at Lehigh with Lissa, and Dimitri was supposed to be in Palm Springs, but lo and behold, a very familiar, Dimitri shaped Dhampir lounging on her dorm bed when she arrived home. "Guardian secrets, Roza." he murmured into her hair, placing a kiss on her hairline fondly.

Dimitri has to suddenly pull a double shift at the court wards when his rotation is stuck outside the wards unable to travel, leaving their only shared day off in a month in ruins, and so she starts to go about making herself a pan of pasta. Yet Rose is distracted by a knock on the door before she can even turn the stove on and a hot 100% looking homemade meal is being delivered to their apartment, a post it stuck to the tray reading "Because I'd rather keep this kitchen scorch free. D x" and when she badgers him later on (tired as he is) he mumbles a quiet "Guardian secrets, Roza." and places a kiss on her knuckles before going to nap.

It makes her feel inferior sometimes, just how on the ball in their relationship he is. How he can preempt her thoughts, how he can surprise her, how he always comes through for her in some way or another.

And she doesn't quite know how to reciprocate; how to show him that he's always on her mind and in her heart like he does for her. How to prove to him that she loves him just as much, if not more, than he loves her. Until in true Rose fashion, she takes the bull by its horns and simply brings it up in conversation with Dimitri one night as they (he) prepares dinner. And he stops his fluid motions and stares at her, confusion and love and awe in his eyes.

"Roza, there is never a moment you don't show me your love, or I don't know that you love me. You've shown me in far more ways than possible." he pauses for breath, pulling his errant thoughts together to form the words he realises she needs to hear. "You're always there when I lose myself to the memories of my time as Strigoi. You forgave me for all my sins against you, and loved me throughout. Roza, you show me when you leave me notes to find all over the apartment when you travel with Lissa, and when you put the coffee pot on when you leave before me, when you don't drink it and because you know I do. Or how you've automatically reached out for me when we're out together in public, you're not ashamed of us or to show our love to the world beyond these four walls."

He steps closer to the counter, and rests his hands on her thighs, either side of him, rubbing circles into her jean covered legs. Dimitri leans down to capture his love's lips with his own, hoping to soothe her further in her errant thoughts of not having shown him her own love. "These are only some of the ways you show me this, Milaya. I only hope to catch up and show you how much you mean to me. To show you how thoroughly you hold my entire being." he says softly, tucking loose hair behind her ears to fully take in her beauty with no distractions.

A smile forms on Rose's own lips, her head moving forward to rest on his chest as she breaths his scent. She is mollified, to hear that maybe she has been showing him all along, and that while her gestures weren't always as preplanned or big as Dimitri's, they were just as special to him as his were to her.

"I Love you, Comrade." she mumbles, relaxing into him as he pulls her ever closer and places a kiss on her crown.

"As I love you." And maybe that was all they needed, she thinks. To love each other equally, and neither more, nor less, than the other. And sometimes, the only way they needed to show the other was to be there, not to shower the other in grand gestures of love. So Dimitri could keep his 'Guardian secrets." because she didn't need them to show him her affection, she just had to be Rose.


	4. Roleplay

"Aw come on, Hathaway, don't be like that." Mason crowed, nudging her with his elbow and moving his arm to wrap around her shoulder. "Just because I floored you, again, is no reason to ignore me." His goofy grin and sparkling eyes were enough to soften Roses features as she hip-checked him back.

"Yeah, yeah, you won't be so lucky in this class, Mase," she grumbled good-naturedly, a sly smile growing on her lips. "You got a lucky blow in earlier. This class is all mine."

Rose, Eddie and Mason were making their way, along with the other novices, towards the gym after lunch. Instead of regular classes today, they'd been told to report to the gym for extra mandatory training. Not that Rose was complaining, more time in the gym would be welcome today after her defeat from Mason this morning.

Watching curiously as Eddie and Mase gave each other a few non-verbal signals and then proceed to take a few quick steps to be ahead of her, Rose couldn't help chuckling at her boy's antics. They opened the inner and outer doors to the gym for her with a flourish and a mock bow, giving her leave to walk straight through to the inside. Seeing the set up of the gym, Rose's smirk grew widely and slowly, quite like a Cheshire cats.

Before her, there were several dummies on the floor and many different stations set up around the gym. These weren't the typical dummies they used for practising though; these were CPR dummies. Looked like their training today was Mandatory Emergency First Aid. Excellent. Taking stock of the Guardians in the room, she was delighted to see Dimitri was going to be guarding, maybe even possibly demonstrating, in her class today.

Her thoughts were then a blissful daydream of the Russian God needing a willing demonstration partner to perform mouth to mouth on. A fantasy she was too soon torn out of by the excited shake of her shoulder from Eddie and the whispers of her fellow novices who had joined them. So she may have to wait until tomorrow to get even with Mase, but her afternoon officially just got way more interesting.

Shifting restlessly on the bench and listening to the Guardian delivery the training (thankfully not Stan, unfortunately not Dimitri) Rose was getting a little bit antsy to actually do something. After having to hear the standard spiel of safety, including textbook cases of how it might apply to their jobs, and the theory behind how to deliver the different aspects of first aid, (which never really changed from one year to the next) she just wanted to get to the practical work.

When the Guardian finally told them to partner up and pick a station to start with, Rose, knowing that Meredith and Chelsea would more than likely partner together to avoid partnering with one of the many males, attached herself to Eddie's arm in a vice grip. "You are not leaving me to the wolves, Castile," she muttered threateningly, watching as some males in their class turned their eyes away from her after seeing her partnered already.

"Wouldn't dream of it, Rose," he told her, patting her hand to both reassure her and loosen her grip. Both of them gave Mason a smile and a shrug at his mock offended look and headed towards their first station.

First aid training was given to the Novices yearly, both building on what they should have learned previously, and making sure they were competent enough in emergency first aid for the field. Should the future Guardians to be assigned to court they would have plenty of chances to further their training should they wish it, or if demanded by their Moroi or the Guardian Council. But should they be assigned to a Moroi elsewhere, it could be few and far between for their chances of learning to deliver first aid had it not part of their school curriculum.

So while a few things were new to Rose, having not been there for the last two years worth of classes, she found herself catching up quickly enough. Having the studious Eddie as her partner was also a big help, as he corrected her gently on things she had missed or forgotten. Rose also couldn't help but notice the constant gaze of a certain Guardian who was observing her work, making a smile grow on her lips. She thought she could also see a hint of a smile in his eyes as he watched her correct herself from listening intently to Eddie as he explained why a particular technique was better than the one she had started using.

This was another reason she had paired with Eddie. She knew she would technically be behind and might need little pushes of guidance even after the Guardian had explained things to them. Something Rose had been sure that Eddie would happily and helpfully do in a way as to not embarrass her or bring attention to it from the others in the class.

Once all the stations had been completed, the Novices gathered at the benches again, waiting for their next instructions. If like in other years the class was going to finish as it usually did, Rose's favourite part of the course was going to begin.

A loud whistle brought the attention of the Novices to the centre of the room, where some of the Guardians had gathered with the trainer. "Okay Novices, your pairs are going to be split into groups of six and assigned to a Guardian. Your Guardian will then send one of your group out at a time to be the first aider, and the rest of you will enact a scenario where one or more subjects need first aid. It is up to you as the first aider to assess the situation and act accordingly with what you have been learning."

Bingo! Roleplaying! A chance to be overly dramatic and purposely put people off! Rose would swear that roleplaying, in any part of Novice training, was a favourite thing for both Novice and Guardian. And if it weren't then why did so many Guardians volunteer to help during the Trials as either Moroi or Strigoi? Therefore, as far as Rose could see, all Damphirs loved roleplay. It was simple logic. And if her mind then happily drifted to roleplay with Dimitri of a different fashion, who was anyone to judge her for it?

Being pulled from another Dimitri fantasy too soon, one she made a mental note to reimagine later on by herself, Rose found her group had already formed, which unsurprisingly was made up from Eddie, Mason, Meredith, Chelsea and Ryan. Looking for the Guardian for their workgroup, her smile grew when she found Dimitri heading in their direction. "Comrade, fancy seeing you here." she greeted cheekily, bringing the attention of the group to the hulking Russian.

He merely responded outwardly with the rise of a single eyebrow and a short "Novice Hathaway." She, however, could see the slightly amused gleam in his eyes before turning to the group as a whole. "Novices, if you'll follow me to the gym space around the storeroom," he spoke clearly, turning from them and heading towards said space without a backwards glance, confident they would follow.

When they gathered, Rose could see that some of the tools they'd been learning with today were strewn about the area, as well as other random objects, ready to be used in whichever scenario Dimitri was to give them. Turning her attention back to the Russian Guardian, Rose found him scrutinising the group, his gaze landing on herself.

"Seeing as you like to lead by example, Novice Hathaway, would you like to go first?" he challenged, though Rose understood it was more a command than a question.

"Sure thing, Guardian Belikov." While she was nervous about going first, she knew he was probably doing her a favour.

"Thank you, Rose." he acknowledged before he took what Rose liked to call his 'mentor pose'. He was about to give them a talk. "Before we start, I'd like to make clear to you all that you may find some of these scenarios mundane or unlikely." he paused watching them for reaction. "However, each of these scenarios I'm planning to give you is one I have personally come across while I have been on duty." He folded his arms across his chest and peered at the Novices carefully.

"Saving a life isn't always going to be battling Strigoi or bloody wounds and unconsciousness, this is why you learn treatment for all areas of first aid. The Moroi you are assigned may have a serious health condition or a mental illness such as depression which could lead to them harming themselves." his gaze burned into Rose at this, their minds turning to Lissa and her coping mechanism for Spirt when it became too much for her.

"It could be something as simple as they've been in the sun too long and are feeling faint, but you will still need to know how to look after them. Remember, they come first. Not all of a Guardians duties in how to best look after our charge is what we learn from sparing." Dimitri paused again, taking a moment to survey the items surrounding them and then look back to the group in front of him. "I will be telling you one aspect of the scenario you are going to walk into, and that will be the main injury that needs attending to. However, the others in your group are going to be clearly labelled Moroi, Strigoi or Guardian, and are going to be reacting to the scenario also. Use the props and information around you wisely." He finished seriously before gesturing Rose towards the storeroom to wait.

Taking a steadying breath, she headed on in.

The few minutes wait felt like it lasted an eternity, scenario after scenario going through her mind. Would Dimitri give her a self-harm scenario, knowing she may have to face that in the future as Lissa's Guardian? No, probably not after already mentioning it. Maybe it would be one where her Moroi was in a dead faint, that would be her luck, but again, he'd said that, so perhaps he'd steer clear of the things he had mentioned.

When she heard the door open, she turned immediately, her adrenaline pumping. "So, what have I got, Comrade?" She asked, clenching her fists as if readying herself for a fight. He watched her for a moment before smiling gently at her and placing a calming hand on her shoulder.

"Relax, Roza, you're doing very well today for someone who has missed two years. The instructor has mentioned being pleasantly surprised." It shouldn't have been a surprise to her that the Guardians had actually been actively watching her today, but it was. Of course they would be, after all, they would be graded on this. A Guardian who couldn't administer first aid wasn't one that would be looked on favourably for the more elite allocations, the Last Dragomir Princess being one of them.

Taking a moment to collect herself, she smiled up at her Russian God. "I'm good," she told him, taking a steadying breath. Dimitri's touch was going a long way to containing the buzzing under her skin to prove herself to everyone out there. He did that, he had a way of calming her with a look or a touch. It helped that she always felt more herself when he was around her. "So, what am I facing?" she asked with a calmer attitude.

"When you go out there, you've just faced a Strigoi. Your guarding partner has a head injury from being thrown against a wall and has landed on a pipe which is embedded in his side," he told her, watching her face to see if she was following. "That is the most prominent injury in your scenario, Rose. Good luck." He gripped her shoulder tighter to reassure her then let go, guiding her out to the gym.

When she exited her mind went into overdrive as she analysed the scene in front of her. Mason was labelled Guardian and on the ground groaning loudly, a practise stake being held at his side. Meredith had been labelled Moroi and was making a beeline for her, pretending to be panicked. And Eddie spontaneously and dramatically flopped on the ground holding a practise stake to his heart, obviously the Strigoi, she couldn't help the snicker at the back of her mind at him. The others in her group were all standing back out of the way with no labels, apparently not being used in the scene.

"Rose, Oh God Rose! You killed it, but what if there are more?" Meredith wailed, grabbing her hand. "We have to go, there could be hundreds more right around the corner, and they all want my blood!" she shrieked dramatically. She could hear the others trying not to laugh at Meredith in the background, which wasn't helping Rose maintain a straight face either.

She needed to focus. Taking a deep breath, Rose had to make a decision. She knew she had to treat Mason's wounds, that was what she had been told. But there was a Moroi in her scenario, and what Meredith was saying was correct. There could be another Strigoi, and her Moroi came first. Dimitri, however, had said anyone in her scenario would be clearly marked, so it was clear to her there were no more Strigoi. Dimitri wouldn't make this too complicated, would he? If this were a real life thing, what would she do? If Meredith was Lissa, and Mason was Dimitri, what would she do?

Making a decision, she acted fast. "It's okay, Mere. There are no more Strigoi. I've checked the surroundings and see no evidence of another." she said, placing both of her hands on the 'Moroi's' shoulders and using a calm but hopefully commanding voice. "I need you to calm down for me though. I understand this has been frightening, and I promise I'm going to get both you and Mason home safely," she said, then gave her a gentle shake. "But I need you to be calm for me, okay? Now, are you injured?" she asked Meredith, looking her up and down, seeing if there was anything obvious.

Meredith now acting calm and nodded to Rose. "I cut my arm when you pushed me to the road," she said, pointing to the left arm. Letting out a shaky breath, Rose was glad she'd asked and not assumed, looking around she noticed a bottle labelled water and grabbed for it. All the while Mason was starting to moan and groan louder.

"Let's clean it up with some water, then I'll help Mason. What I want you to do after is the call for an ambulance, okay? But don't move too far away from me." She instructed pretended to pour the water on. Giving the Moroi a job to do couldn't have hurt, could it? With a pipe in his side, Mason needed an ambulance, and while she saw to him, another person could take that job.

"Mason, how are you injured? Is it just your head and side?" she asked, hoping Dimitri had told her everything she needed to know about his injuries.

"I think so?" he said, pretending to moan from pain again.

"Okay, well we're going to leave the pipe in your side okay, it's not bleeding right now. It's your head and spine I'm worried about." Pausing she tried to remember what she should ask and look for. "Without moving, can you feel everything?" she asked, pretending to check for signs of a concussion.

"Yeah, I just hit the back of my head on the wall, I think it's bleeding," he answered her.

"Okay, well Merediths calling the ambulance, and I can't see any signs of more Strigoi. I don't want to move you as you hit your head and we could make the pipe wound worse." Standing up, she looked at Dimitri unsure. "I think that's everything I can do?" she asked unsurely.

Nodding, Dimitri gave her a small smile. "You did well. You addressed your surroundings, then looked after your Moroi. You even gave her a job to do, which isn't a bad idea to stop them from going into shock while you attended to Mason. And you did right there, also. Not moving him and not removing the pipe. Well done, Rose, you did as you've been taught. However, in a real-life crisis, sometimes we're going to have to move our injured. Because of the controlled environment, you knew there was no other Strigoi, in real life, we can't just assume that. Generally, there is going to be transport close by, but in your scenario, there wasn't as I didn't include one. In an emergency, and depending on how well you know your Moroi will react, you can talk them through first aid as you drive to safety. Do not be afraid to ask the Moroi to help. Of course, they can tell you no, don't expect them to say yes, but asking doesn't harm if you think you will get a favourable response."

Breathing out a sigh of relief, she smiled back. Her hard part was done, now she got to have fun! Nudging Eddie with her foot, she grinned down at him cheekily. "You can get up now, Drama Queen." the Novices surrounding then chuckled, knowing too well how Rose could sometimes act in these roleplays.

"Novice Ashford, if you'd take the next one?" Dimitri asked, choosing who would go next for them. Once he was in the storeroom, Dimitri turned to the remaining Novices.

"Now, this one isn't quite as exciting as the one I gave Rose, but again, It's something I've had to do while on duty," he told them, reaching down to pick up the infant CPR dummy. "Rose, this is your baby," he said passing it to her, giving a quiet chuckle at her stunned expression. This wasn't going the way Rose thought it might. "You're a Moroi with your Moroi husband," he said, gesturing towards Eddie. "You're at a function, and your baby is choking. You have no idea what to do, and the both of you are panicking, Guardians are, of course, lining the walls. One of the closest to you is Mason."

"Well, Wifey looks like Junior eats like you do," Eddie said, moving next to her and poking her in the side. The others chuckled, and Dimitri gave them an indulgent eye roll.

"Eddison! I am not naming our baby Junior!" Rose exclaimed, clutching the baby to her protectively with a horrified look on her face.

"I love that your problem with this scenario is the baby being called Junior, Rose." Eddie laughed, sticking the Moroi sign to his chest that was passed to him, Rose copying when she was given hers.

"Whatever, just get ready to play panicked daddy with me," she told him, watching Dimitri go and retrieve Mason. Smirking, she knew just how she was going to react. Rose would get her title of drama queen back, and get back at Mason all at once. Winking at the 'bystanders' Rose straightened up when she saw the door open again and caught sight of Mason's red hair.

Clutching the baby close, she took a deep breath and let out a shrill scream. "Help me! Somebody help me! Oh, my baby! My precious Junior!" she wailed dramatically. Gripping onto Eddie shook him in her grasp. "Eddison! Eddison do something, our precious Junior is choking! He can't breath Eddison!" Eddie was trying not to laugh as he reached out for the dummy in her arms. The others in their group were already laughing with abandon.

"Junior! Whats wrong buddy? Breathe, Junior!" he called out just as loudly, following Rose's lead. "Someone! Someone help, my son! He's the only proof I have that Rose had sex with me!" he called morosely, a yell of pain coming soon after as Rose clipped him around the back of his head.

By this time, their little scene had caught the attention of everyone in the gym, the others in their group were utterly helpless, and near tears of laughter and the other Novices weren't too far behind as they figured out what was going on. A couple of the guardians were having to look away from the scene transpiring before them so as not to give away just how amused they were.

Reaching his best friends, Mason held out his arms for the dummy. "Here, Miss, I can help him!" he said firmly, trying not to smile and be serious.

Looking at him, Rose put on a face of horror and clutched the dummy to her chest. "Don't you dare touch my baby!" she shrieked, turning to Eddie. "He tried to take Junior from me! He tried to take Junior from his Momma while he's distressed." she wailed, pushing Eddie towards Mason, blocking her and the dummy from him. "Junior, breathe for Momma, baby! Breathe for Momma!" she cried out. She could feel Eddie at her back trying to stop himself from laughing, she could only imagine poor Mason's face.

"Wifey, darling," Eddie started, turning to face Rose. "I think the Guardian might be able to help Junior, here pass him to me," he said, holding his arms out for the dummy. Rose made a show of reluctantly passing the CPR dummy to Eddie, all the while loud wailing sobs came from her.

"I- I just want him to live! He has such potential!" she fake sobbed, throwing her arms in the air now she was free to move. Eddie passed the dummy to Mason, who opened the dummy's mouth as if inspecting it for a blockage, finally able to get on with the scenario now.

Rose, however, wasn't going to let it stop there. Rushing towards Chelsea, who was bent over because she was laughing so hard, she grabbed her shoulders and pulled her up shaking her in her 'panic'. "Did you see that! My baby's choking and the Guardian tried to snatch him from me!" she wailed. Letting go of her a moment later, Rose began pacing backwards and forwards frantically. "Junior! Oh God! Junior!" she cried, moving to hover closely over Mason.

Mason, meanwhile had begun giving the dummy back blows to dislodge the fake blockage. "OH MY GOD!" Rose cried, putting her hands to either side of her head. "HE'S HITTING MY BABY!" the words sent the other novices into a further round of laughter, Meredith barely able to catch her breath. A few of the guardians couldn't help their smirks and chuckles, Rose really was being over the top. Dimitri, Rose noticed, was trying his best to be stoic, she could easily see the laughter in his eyes though. Time to kick it up a notch then.

Hurrying towards Dimitri, she tugged on his arm. "Please! Stop him! He's going to kill my baby!" she wailed. Though she could feel Dimitri brush her off, she would swear she heard a small chuckle.

"Okay Novice Ashford, I think you've saved Junior," there was clear amusement in his voice as he moved forward to retrieve the newly dubbed 'Junior'. "You didn't, however, succeed in calming the distressed parents down," he said, motioning to Rose, who was now bowing to her adoring crowd, a couple of the Novices clapping for her, most of them too busy wiping their tears away and trying to catch their breath. "Sadly it's not so far-fetched that a parent might react like that. Unfortunately, I put Rose in the role of the mother for you, someone else may have been a little calmer in their acting the part for you," he said, clapping Mason on the shoulder. "Still, good work. Edwards, you're up next."

Eddie, who had just gotten a hold of his own laughter, having broken down right after handing the dummy off to Mason, moved over to Rose and put his arm around her shoulder. "Jesus, Rose. That was the best thing ever." he complimented, coughing out another little chuckle. "Did you take acting classes while you were missing?" he asked, the two of them watching as Mason finally joined them.

"Nah, she always been that much of a drama queen," Mason said, pushing on Rose's opposite shoulder. "That was completely cruel though, Rose. I could barely think what to do, all I wanted to do was laugh with the others."

"Sorry, not sorry, Mase," she said cheekily, giving him a loud, wet kiss on the cheek, causing the other boy to wipe his face, a grossed out expression now covering it.

"Novices, if we could get back to the task at hand?" Dimitri's voice carried to them, a single brow raised on his face.

"Of course, Guardian Belikov," Rose said sweetly, dragging her boys over to him to hear Meredith's scenario. She wondered if Dimitri would let her act again, or if he would rather not risk it disturbing everyone once more. She could only hope he would as she gave him her most innocent smile and a cute little shrug as if to say 'what did you expect?'


End file.
